Card Number 567, Alma Stewart Stanley, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes
1880s
Medium
Albumen photograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 11/16 × 1 3/8 in. (6.8 × 3.5 cm)
Classification
Photographs|Ephemera
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, Gift of Jefferson R. Burdick
Accession Number
63.350.208.145.7.170
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Card Number 567, Stewart Stanley*, a charming albumen photograph from W. Duke, Sons & Co.'s Actors and Actresses series (145-7). Issued the 1880s to promote Duke Cig, this tiny trade card—measuring just 2 11/16 × 1 3/8 inches—captures the alluring portrait of actress Alma Stewart Stanley, one of many celebrities featured to entice collectors and boost sales. These cards were a clever marketing innovation, transforming cigarette packs into portable galleries of stage stars, reflecting the era's fascination with theater and fame. Printed via the albumen process, a hallmark of 19th-century photography prized for its sharp detail and glossy sheen from egg-white coating, this ephemera exemplifies how commercial photography democratized portraiture. Duke Sons & Co., a leading tobacco firm, mass-produced these cards, blending artistry with commerce in the burgeoning world of consumer culture. Alma Stewart Stanley's poised image evokes the glamour of Victorian actresses, who embodied both elegance and emerging celebrity status. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection—a treasure trove of American prints and ephemera gifted by the avid collector—this card offers a window into Gilded Age pop culture, where tobacco tins became status symbols for fans trading portraits of their favorite performers. A delightful snapshot of history's promotional flair!
About the Artist
W. Duke, Sons & Co. · 1870–1920
**W. Duke, Sons & Co.: Pioneers of Chromolithographic Trade Card Art** W. Duke, Sons & Co., an American tobacco manufacturer, emerged from the entrepreneurial vision of Washington Duke (1820–1905) and his sons in Durham, North Carolina. After the Civil War, Washington abandoned farming in 1874 to join his eldest son, Brodie L. Duke, in the burgeoning tobacco trade, establishing a factory that for...